Recently, I was talking with a director at Health-Union.com and we were discussing a post on painful orgasm that was related to Prostate Cancer. I had an idea of the why this might happen in the situation mentioned and I began to wonder how many other men out there were experiencing this. After reading a bunch of scientific articles, here is a quick summary of what I found. To get this article started, studies are saying about 11% of men with PC are reporting painful orgasms. To get even more specific, 18% men who had their prostate removed report painful orgasms. The possible cause of this pain is the seminal vesicles, which are located adjacent to the prostate gland. Let get into this.

Orgasm

For many men, sexuality may change post-prostate cancer treatment. The stress alone will cause men to have issues related to performance, how to pleasure their lover and experiencing their own pleasure. Some men report having stronger orgasms where other lose that ability altogether. Some men report missing the ability to ejaculate, coupled with the new sensations of their orgasms. For those men who are having painful orgasms, they are often less satisfied and avoid sex altogether.

Initially, I thought the pain was caused by the muscle contractions during orgasm. When you have an orgasm, many muscles in the genital area flex and contract in order to expel ejaculate. So I was thinking if the area did not have time to heal completely, the muscle contractions could irritate that location and cause pain. While some doctors agree with this, other doctors think the pain is caused by something else.

The seminal vesicles

The seminal vesicles (SV) are a pair of organs that produce about 1/3 of the semen that is released during ejaculation. The removal of the prostate gland along with the seminal vesicles causes a “dry or dryer” orgasm, which still gives the man the ability to have a pleasurable orgasm.

Some doctors prefer to leave the tips of the SV while removing the prostate. Doctors “spare” the SV because the total removal could lead to urinary incontinence and/ or erectile dysfunction. Many researchers believe the tips of the SV still contract during orgasm and release a small amount of fluid, therefore causing pain. Men under 60 were more likely to experience painful orgasms. Doctors are more likely to “spare” the SV in younger men in order to aid in erections.

Case study

One gentleman, who was 53 years old, had a radical prostatectomy. The medical notes reported the seminal vesicles were removed as well. He was able to get partial erections and was taking 100 mg of Viagra for assistance. He had orgasms but complained of having “burning and searing pain” in his genital area and deep inside his pelvic region. The pain would last for several minutes. He said this was a major barrier to sexual activity. He had an MRI on his genital area that showed “clear evidence of retained seminal vesicles,” even though the notes said they were removed.

To conclude… education & PSA number

If you experience any sort of pain during orgasm, please contact your doctor. It is possible he/she “spared” your SV to help with getting erections and aid with bladder control. While your doctor may have told you about saving the tips of your seminal vesicles, its possible she or he failed to mention the possible pain associated with orgasm. From what I was able to find, about 11% of men report this so, it may not have been on your doctor’s radar, you know?

Also, the case study mentioned how sparing your seminal vesicles could increase your PSA levels. The study suggested the seminal vesicles could be the source of PSA reading, which should be undetectable after a radical prostatectomy.

Experiencing pain from an orgasm has to be a big shock. The one thing in sex you can count on to give you pleasure now gives you pain. Most of these men report the pain diminishes over time. But still, talk to your doctor and have her/him explain what was specifically done during your procedure. If your doctor explains they decided to “spare” your seminal vesicles, now you know. If your seminal vesicles are removed, something else could be causing you pain and that should be looked into.